Vehicles, such as automobiles, include a climate control system for maintaining the interior climate of the occupant compartment of the vehicle. Air handling for the climate control system is provided by a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) assembly. The HVAC assembly includes a network of ducts and vents for transferring a flow of air in through and out of the vehicle. The airflow in the occupant compartment enhances occupant comfort, provides for anti-fogging of windows, as well as other features. The transfer of fresh air into the occupant compartment and of stale air out of the occupant compartment is typically accomplished via an interconnected system of air vents and air ducts. The air duct openings are positioned in various locations in the occupant compartment, such as in the instrument panel, a pillar, or the quarter panel, or the like.
One function of an air duct is to provide for the controlled flow of air into the occupant compartment of the vehicle. Another function of an air duct is to provide for the controlled flow of air out of the occupant compartment of the vehicle. The air duct may have other functions as well, and may be part of an integrated air duct assembly. Various considerations influence the configuration of the air duct. For example, a consideration is to maintain an effective transfer of airflow both in and out of the vehicle for operation of the HVAC system. Another example is to keep transfer of noise or vibration through the air ducts to a minimum. Still another example is to minimize the flow of dust and water through the air ducts and into the vehicle. While presently available air ducts work well, there is still a need in the art for an air duct assembly that improves the performance of the HVAC system by increasing the effective airflow through the occupant compartment of a vehicle while also reducing any side effect concerns of water, dust, or noise intrusion into the occupant compartment.